Highlights
- Only four owners and under 53,000 miles from new
- Original right-hand drive UK-market car
- Extensive interior, paint and mechanical work completed in 2018
- Subtle cosmetic AMG upgrades
- Huge paperwork file contains invoices totalling thousands of pounds
- 12 months MOT
The Appeal
Mercedes model designations can sometimes be confusing, and that’s certainly apparent with the E-Class on the 124 platform. Produced from 1987 to 1997, the W124 and derivatives could be anything from a robust, economical diesel saloon or estate (as in the 200D and 200TD) to a fast, luxurious and elegant coupé or cabriolet, as with the E320 and its lively 3.2-litre straight-six. We’d recommend any of them, but for different purposes; a 200D would make a great town runabout during the week, but the E320 is just the sort of thing you want to dust down at the weekend and savour a nice, brisk drive in.
The first E320s were introduced in 1993, coinciding with a facelift which gave the 124 a fresh look which doesn’t look dated, even 30 years later. Apart from a few V8s which were offered only in saloons, the E320’s 3.2-litre six was the 124’s top-of-the-range engine and the Cabriolet, of course, was its most glamorous body style. Depending on body, the sporty 217bhp six gave the E320 a top speed between 146 and 150mph, so you can move quickly if you need to, although in a car like the Cabriolet it may be more tempting to drive slowly and be seen.
Can it possibly get better? Yes, because a handful of Cabriolets were bought with the Sportline package, comprised of the sports chassis with lower ride height and uprated anti-roll bars and bushes.
Only 12,229 E320 Cabriolets were built in total, so they have always been a rare sight on the road. This is your opportunity to acquire one of the earliest and one of the best. With a fully-documented ownership history confirming that this is a four-owner car from new, we can see that it has always been suitably cherished, with regular services and lots of invoices detailing that money has been spent to keep it in good shape. Very few cars look as good as this one after almost 30 years, and we’d recommend getting some bids in because it’ll be a long time before you find another like it.
Only 12,229 E320 Cabriolets were built in total, so they have always been a rare sight on the road. This is your opportunity to acquire one of the earliest and one of the best. With a fully-documented ownership history confirming that this is a four-owner car from new, we can see that it has always been suitably cherished, with regular services and lots of invoices detailing that money has been spent to keep it in good shape. Very few cars look as good as this one after almost 30 years, and we’d recommend getting some bids in because it’ll be a long time before you find another like it.
The History and Paperwork
- First registered on 4th August 1993 as L521 GHX
- Sold new through Mercedes’s flagship Park Lane dealership, Normand (Mayfair) Ltd., to Sheik Khalid bin Jessen Althari of Willesden, who registered it with the appropriate number 9 KBJ
- Purchased by its second owner in 2000, its third owner in 2002 and its present owner in 2018
- Sold with its original owner’s wallet containing the owner’s manual, service book and more
- Paperwork includes the current and historic V5s, a vast collection of invoices running to thousands of pounds, 13 MoT certificates issued between 2003 and 2020, plus various other documents including evidence of the previous owner’s membership of the Mercedes-Benz Club
- 12 Months MOT
The Interior
- Specified when new with grey leather upholstery
- Re-Connolised in 2018
- Very luxuriously appointed with power options and CD/cassette player
- Brilliantly preserved with only minimal wear
Typically and tastefully understated, the grey leather upholstery is understood to be completely original and it has survived in remarkably good order. The condition of the seats is just astounding, with just some re-Connolising in 2018 to keep them looking fresh. Front and rear, they seem to have lasted 30 years without acquiring more than the lightest crinkles. Better still is that their superb condition is representative of the whole interior.
We cannot find fault with the door trim or the dash, and we are generally impressed by the state of the carpets and centre console. Everything is remarkably clean. When we inspected the car, the only slight instances of wear or damage which we noticed were at the rear of the centre console, where just a few superficial marks have appeared, and on the driver’s carpet where their heels have worn through some of the fabric, although not all the way through.
Beginning with the lovely rich walnut which has been generously applied around the interior, there’s a long list of luxuries to take note of, including:
- Heated, electrically-operated front seats
- Front and rear folding armrests
- Air-conditioning
- Electric windows
- Radio, CD and cassette player
After what you’ve read so far, you may well suppose the boot is in excellent order, too, and you’d be right. Clean and tidily presented, it’s well-stocked with the wind deflector, spare wheel, jack, first-aid kit, warning triangle and toolkit.
The Exterior
- Repainted in 2018 in its original Midnight Blue
- Electrically-operated soft top
- AMG bumpers and wheels fitted in 2018
If elegance may be defined as the ability to stand out inconspicuously, then this E320 is certainly elegant in its original colour scheme of Midnight Blue with a dark blue roof. Although the colours are attractively subtle rather than attention-grabbing, some people have enquired if the paint is metallic. It isn’t, but that is perhaps testament to what a lovely bright shine it has.
Having been repainted in 2018, the exterior is not far short of immaculate. We looked all over the car and were unable to find fault with it, except for a small blemish on the offside windscreen pillar where perhaps it has been polished with a little too much enthusiasm.
The hood is also in marvellous condition, and it’s nice to know that its operation is almost entirely automatic. All the driver has to do is operate the latches on the windscreen frame to release or secure it, and the rest is done at the touch of a button. All the little items of trim and brightwork are exceptionally good.
While the AMG wheels were fitted in 2018 and are not original to the car (it originally came with Mercedes’s eight-hole wheels) they really do make it look that little bit more exciting and they could almost pass for brand-new. The AMG theme extends to the front and rear bumpers, which make such a positive difference to the car’s appearance – subtle, but significant.
The underside of the car has recently been detailed and, from what we could see, is in excellent condition.
The Mechanics
- Top of the range engine for an A124 Cabriolet
- Head gasket and wiring loom renewed in 2020
- Regularly serviced until 2020
- New MOT valid for 12 months
In a car like this, it’s not enough for it to be powerful; it must also be civilised, and so it is. Firing up on the button, it proceeds to tick over extremely quietly and, even when the throttle is opened up on the road, it remains very soft-spoken. Even with the roof down, you can be motoring swiftly along an A-road and not have to raise your voice to speak to your passenger. With its five-speed automatic gearbox and power steering, it glides effortlessly.
With the service book showing that it has been serviced on a regular basis up to 2020, it has obviously been well cared-for mechanically. The huge collection of invoices demonstrates that it has not been neglected, with some of the more notable invoices detailing the renewal of the head gasket and wiring loom in 2018.
Considering the light use this car has received recently – it has only covered 700 miles since 2016, and just 86 since 2018 – we should be surprised if it has succumbed to much in the way of mechanical wear and tear. The E320’s last MoT expired in 2021 and, while we cannot guarantee roadworthiness without a valid MoT certificate, we would draw attention to its impressive MoT record up to 2020, and emphasise that it passed its last test with no advisories.
In light of that, we very much expect it to sail straight through its next test, and then it will be ready to use and enjoy as you please.
The Summary
The E320 Cabriolet is an understated but very high-quality car, not to mention extremely rare. Though they tended to sell to careful owners and so tend to survive in good order, few come up for sale as good as this one. Presented as a genuine four-owner, 53,000-mile in its original specification save for the AMG upgrades, it really is something of a one-off.
All the work has been done to make sure it is highly presentable, i.e. re-Connolising and repainting, and the proven record of regular mechanical maintenance inspires confidence in the engine and drivetrain. We mean it when we say you won’t find another like it, so get bidding while you can.
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